Train-pipe coupling.



F. s, KRALovlc.

TRAIN PIPE COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-3, I9I5.

1,185,334. y Patented May 30,1916.

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Witnesses Attorneys, y

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UNITED sTnTns PATENT orion FRANK S. KRALOVIC, OF BERWICK, PENNSYLVNIA.

TRAIN-PIPE 'COUPLINQ To all whom t may concern: i

Be it known that I, FRANK S. KRALovIo, a subject of the Emperor of Hungary residing at Berwick, in the county of Columbia and State of Pennsylvania, have'invented a new and useful Train-Pipe Coupling,

vof which the following is a specification.

.The present invention is a device for automatically coupling together the pipe sections carried by two railroad cars or co-aches ywhen said cars or coaches are coupled, and

aims to provide a novel and improved coupling of that character which will enable the pipe sections to be effectively coupled without the liability of leakage,` and with.- out the attention of the brakeman being necessary. I

It is also within the scope of the invention'toprovidea coupling device of the character indicated, which is comparatively simple and inexpensive in construction,

i which can be readily applied to the draw y View which will appear as the descriptionl heads of present day car couplings, ,and which will serve its ofiice in a thoroughly y practical and reliable manner.

. With the foregoing and other objects in proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed withoutl departing from the spiritof the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein f Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device, parts being broken away. Fig. 2 is anenlarged end view of one of the coupling members. Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4c is a sectional detail'illustrating the hose attaching means. Fig. 5 is an end view of a draw head illustrating a modified form of hanger applied thereto.

The present device is carried by an ordinary or prevailing type of carcoupling em! bodying the draw heads l which are adapted to be interlocked. In carrying out the invention, each of the draw heads 1 is prof vided with a hanger 2, which'may be cast' integral with the draw head in the manufacture of new ldraw heads, or which may be attached to the draw head as suggested in Fig. 5. This ligure illustrates a hanger 2 Specification of Letters Patent.

' Application led December 3, 1915.v Serial No. 64,888."y i

the car bodies. v

Patented May 3o, 1916.

having the upstanding sides 3 which are riveted or otherwise secured to the sides -of the draw head l illustrating how the hangers can be applied to drawheads now in use. In constructing .new draw heads equipped with the present type couplings, the hangers 2 are preferably cast integral with the draw f heads as illustrated in Figs. land 2.. The

hangers 2 embody the sides?) the upper ends of which are integral with the draw heads,

landv the lower ends of which are connected by a bottom plate or! yoke 4a The sides 3 are Aconnected,between their upper and lower ends by a horizontal partition or web 5.

to swing horizontally. The sidesof the member 6 are rounded. as seen in dotted'lines in Fig. 2,.so that said member can swing about a longitudinal axis with'the pin 8.

Y U-shaped yokes 9' haveI their terminals overlapping the members 6, and the upper and lower surfaces ofthe -members61slidably engage the limbs of the yokes A9, whererby the'yokes 9 swing with the members 6. Vertical elliptical bushings 9a are terminally secured to the terminals of the respective yokes 9 `and lit slidably. within the slots 7, while the pins 8 extend through and are slidable within the bushings 9a. The lyokes v9 can thus slide longitudinally relative to the hangers, and thel membersv canl slide longitudinally relative to the lyokes The members 6 'and yokes9 can slide vertically upon the pins 8 whereby the members can be brought 'into abutmenteven though one car body is depressedmore'A than Athe other. The members 6 can also swingtransversely and about a longitudinalfaxisjn view of slots 8@ due to the swinging movements of y Pipe sections" 10 areslidable through the intermediateportions of the yokes 9 and their adjacent ends arev attached to the reynecessary for each coupling member 6, the others being eliminated and the size of the coupling being reduced accordingly. yIt is jacent one side of the member 6, and said evident that any number of pipe sections 10 may be employed as may be desirable or necessary. Coiled wire expansion springs 11 are disposed upon the pipe sections 10 between the remote ends of rthe coupling members 6 and the intermediate portions of the yokes 9, and these springs tend to project the members 6 from the hangers 2 when the members 6 are released or uncoupled. The members 6 can therefore move against the springs 11 when they are brought into abutment. The springs 11 tend to separate the members 6 and respective yokes 9, and the bushings 9a attached to the yokes 9 bear against the pins 8, as seen in Fig. 3, whereby the springs force or tend to force the members 6 away from the yokes 9 toward projected position.

The adjacent ends ofthe members are provided with oblique faces 12 lying in vertical planes, and adapted to abut. Each member 6 has a curved tapered Wing 13 projecting therefrom at one end of the face 12 and admember 6 is further provided with a curved tapered recess or pocket 14 at the other end of the face 12 and adjacent the opposite side of the said member 6. The recesses 141 are adapted to snugly receive the wings 13 of `the opposite coupling members, whereby the coupling members are directed properly into abutment, and to prevent' the members being displaced 'when they are brought into abutment. The recesses 14: are sufiiciently large in order to properly receivek the wings 13 even through the members 6 are in dili'erent horizontal planes, whereby to shift the couplingl members into alinement, the lower member 6 being raised due to the tapered formation of the recesses 14 and Wings 13, the members 6 having outstanding U-shaped flared flanges 15 partially surrounding the recesses 14 to assist in directing the wings 13 thereinto.

Each coupling member 6 is provided with an oblique or diagonal bore 16 for each pipe section 10, and extending from the end face 12 at approximately right angles therewith, to that side of the member 6 adjacent which the respective wing 13 is located. Each bore 16 has a restricted end 17 opening through the end face 12, and the member 6 is provided with a passage- 19 extending from each pipe section 10 to the respective bore 16 adjacent the shoulder or valve seat 18 formed by the restricted or contracted end 17 of the bore. A cylindrical valve 20 is slidable within each bore 16 to bear against the seat 18 for closing the restricted end or aperture 17 when the members 6 are separated, the valves 20 having reduced lingers 21 projecting loosely through the apertures 17 whereby when the members 6 are moved into abutment, the fingers 21 in abutting will unseat the valves 19 to bring the respective passages 16 of the two members 6 into communication by way of the apertures 17. Plugs 22 are threaded within the bores 16 to close the same, and coiled wire expansion springs 23 are disposed within the bores between the plugs 22 and pockets formed in the remote ends of the valves 20, whereby the said springs seat the valves when they are re leased.

Fig. 4 illustrates how one end of a hose 25 may be connected by a coupling 24 to the free end of each pipe section 10, whereby the hose 25 enables the pipe section 10 to be flexibly connected to the stationary pipe section of the car or coach, allowing the pipe section 10 to move with the respective member 6 without the necessity of the stationary pipe section of the car or coach being moved. The several pipe sections 10 are connected to the respective air, steam and signal pipe sections of the coaches, whereby said pipe sections are properly brought into communication when the coaches or cars are coupled.

In order to properly position the coupling members 6 when they are uncou'pled and projected,l a rearwardly projecting arm 26 is pivoted, as at 27 to each member 6 within the rear end of the bore 16, the member 6 having a recess 28 in rear of the arm 26 to receive the same when the arm is swung against said member. A wire or other suitable spring 29 is disposed between the member 6 and arm 26 to normally swing said arm outwardly at an acute angle with the member 6, one terminal of said spring being secured to the member 6 and the other terminal working in a longitudinal slot 32 of the arm 26. The pivoted portion of the arm 26 has a lug 30 which swings against a stop lug 31 of the member 6 when the arm 26 is swung outwardly to proper position, thereby limiting the outward movement of said arm.

When the members 6 are projected under the influence of the springs 11, the spring pressed arms 26 contact with the respective sides 3 of the hangers 2 and hold the members 6 in such position that they will meet properly when brought together.` This prevents the injuring of any of the parts of the coupling, as might result if the coupling members were allowed to swing out of' place vwhen detached from one another.

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Since the'present coupling is carried byl the car coupling, the members 6 will be properly brought into abutment when the cars are coupled, the wings 13 passing into the recesses 14 to properly guide the members 6 together. When the members 6 abut, the valves 20 are unseated thereby bringing the passages 19 into communication for connecting the pipe sections of the cars. The members 6 can slide within the hangers against the tension of the springs 11, whereby said springs force the members 6 tightly together to prevent leakage. Leakage is also avoided by the provision of gaskets 24a embedded within the end faces 12 of the members 6 so as to bear against one another around the apertures 17.

From the foregoing taken in connection with the drawings, vthe advantages and capabilities of the invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A train pipe coupling embodying hangers, coupling members slidable and swingable within the hangers and having longitudinal slots, vertical pins carried by the hangers and projecting through said slots, U-shaped yokes having their terminals engaged loosely with said pins above and below the coupling members, and expansion springs between the intermediate portions of the yokes and the remote ends of the coupling members, the coupling members having passages adapted to be brought into communication.

2. A train pipe coupling embodying hangers, coupling members slidable and swingable within the hangers and having longitudinal slots, vertical pins carried by the hangers and projecting through said slots, U-shaped yokes having their terminals above and below the coupling members, elliptical bushings connecting the terminals of the the yokes and the remote ends of the coupling being slidable in the bushings, pipe sections slidable through the intermediate portions of the yokes and having their adjacent ends attached to the remote ends of the coupling members, springs upon said pipe sections between the yokes and coupling members to project the coupling members, the coupling members having passages communicating with said pipe sections and adapted to be brought into communication with one another.

3. A train pipe coupling embodying in combination with draw heads, hangers having sides attached to the draw heads, said hangers having lower plates and partitions between the sides thereof, coupling members slidable within the hangers upon the lower plates thereof, the sides of the hangers diverging to permit the coupling members to swing, the coupling members having longitudinal slots, vertical pins engaged with the lower plates and partitions of the hangers and projecting through said slots, U-shaped yokes having thetermin'als above and below the coupling members, elliptical bushings connecting the terminals of the yokes and slidable in said slots, the pins being slidable in the bushings, the coupling members slidably engaging the limbs of the yokesfpipe sections slidable through the intermediate portions of the yokes and attached to the remote ends of the coupling members, and springs upon the pipe sections between the yokes and coupling members to project the latter, the adjacent ends of the coupling members having means for guiding them into abutment and the coupling members having passages communicating with said pipe sections and adapted to be brought into communication.

4. A pipe coupling embodying a pair of coupling members, means for movably and yieldably supporting the same, the adjacent ends of the coupling members having oblique faces lying in vertical planes, each coupling member having a curved tapered wing projecting therefrom at one end of its oblique face and a curved tapered recess at the other end of its face for receiving the wing ofthe opposite coupling member, each coupling member also having an oblique bore extending from its obliquek face to one side and provided with a restricted end adjacent said face to provide a valve seat, each coupling member also having a passage communicating with the bore adjacent the valve seat, plugs threaded into the bores, valves slidable within the bores to bear against said seats and having fingers projecting through the restricted ends of the bores to abut against one another for unseating the valves when the coupling members are brought into abutment, and expansion springs between the valves and plugs.

5. A train pipe coupling embodying hangers having diverging sides, coupling members mounted for sliding and swinging movements within the hangers, spring means for projecting the coupling members relative to the hangers, the adjacent ends of the coupling members having means for guiding them into abutment, the coupling members having passages adapted to be brought into communication, arms pivoted to said members, said arms and members having means for limiting thesidewise movement of said arms, and springs for swinging said arms sidewise whereby they coperate with the respective sides of the hangers when said members are projected to hold said members in coupling position.

6. A train pipe coupling embodying hangers, U-shaped yokes having their terminals pivoted to the hangers, coupling members slidable within the yokes and having Cyr In' testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aiiixed my signature 1J 1n the presence of two Witnesses.l

n FRANK S. KRALOVIC. Witnesses pansion springs between the vintermediate portions of the yokes and the coupling mem- J. D. SEILER, bers. S. A. TOPPER.

ve cents each, by addressing the Connnissioner @i lPatent.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for Washington, D. C. 

